


National Treasure

by AlexandraO



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Good Draco Malfoy, James Potter Lives, Mild Language, national treasure - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-05 06:10:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20484161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandraO/pseuds/AlexandraO
Summary: Treasure hunter, historian, and cryptologist, Harry Potter has been searching his whole life for a rumored treasure dating back to the time of Merlin. After an expedition in Godric’s Hollow goes haywire and one of his most trusted allies turns on him, following the law isn’t on the agenda.With the help of his trusty sidekick, Draco Malfoy, and a reluctant Dr Hermione Granger, they turn into treasure protectors, risking their lives, come hell or high water.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [HarmonyAtTheMovies](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HarmonyAtTheMovies) collection. 

> **Prompt:**  
National Treasure (2004)
> 
> This piece was written for Harmony & Co's Harmony at the Movies: A Film Fest. All canon characters, plots, dialogue, and situations from the Harry Potter series belongs to JK Rowling. All plots, dialogue, and situations from National Treasure belong to Walt Disney Pictures. I am not profiting from this work. 
> 
> Thank you to my alpha...whatever you want to call it because he really does everything, The Muse of Apollo for his help on this piece. I scrapped it about two weeks ago and started over. Without him, I never would have gotten it re-written!
> 
> This story is COMPLETELY AU. Magic still does exist, but James Potter lives, Harry was homeschooled, Hermione and Draco went to separate magical schools (not Hogwarts) so they don't know each other previously. There are several things in this story that you might recognize from the HP universe but were slightly altered for the purpose of this fic.

Harry crept up to the attic when his father and grandfather weren’t looking. They were more preoccupied with fighting than paying attention to what he was doing. He carefully walked across the dust-covered wood floor, attempting to not make any noise. Eventually, they would learn that he was no longer in the room with them, but he wanted to delay that moment for as long as possible. The deafening thunder outside cracked across the sky, rattling the windows. The storm helped his cover, masking his steps. 

His grandfather had long told him since he was small, elaborate stories of treasure hunting, and pirates, and of kings and queens. His father, James, wrote them off as nonsense more recently, but Harry believed despite his father’s protests. His grandfather would never lie to him. 

Walking over to the darkest part of the attic where the small light didn’t reach, Harry found a box, one that his grandfather Fleamont hadn’t shown him yet. He had been curious for a while about the untouched boxes in the corner, but his father didn’t bring him to visit much. The time with his grandfather was rare and usually supervised by his father. Harry glanced once more at the entrance to the attic before turning back to the box. He wished he had a wand to clear the dust, but instead puffed out his cheeks and blew it out. Opening up the box, the contents inside were void of dust, having been protected. Harry pulled out the item on top — a large tome. Harry moved his hand to open it when he heard the floor creak. His head shot up and turned back toward the door. There his grandfather, Fleamont Potter, stood his hands in his pockets. He was peeking at Harry curiously through his round rimmed glasses before gesturing him to move closer. Harry stood up, tome in hand, and walked over to the man.

“Grandfather. I-I, I just wanted another story. And you hadn’t shown me this one yet. I—” 

Fleamont put up a hand stopping Harry’s ramblings and laughed. “Curious as me, and as your father, you are boy. Why don’t you bring that over here? I think it’s time for another story...the most important one of all.” 

Fleamont walked over to a corner close to the attic door. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and waved it, diminishing all of the dust. Harry loved seeing magic performed, no matter how small. It looked just as it used to when Harry would spend hours in the attic. Wanting to recreate the memories, Harry sat on a pillow on the floor while Fleamont sat on an old wooden box. 

His grandfather opened the book and began pulling out all kinds of old photos and documents from inside the front cover. “This is a story of our ancestor Ignotus Peverell.” 

Harry’s eyes went wide behind the circle glasses that matched his grandfathers and fathers. 

“Long ago, centuries, in fact, Ignotus Peverell was told a secret by King Arthur. King Arthur was very sick and asked his stable boy to ready a carriage — he needed to see Merlin, urgently. 

Ignotus rushed the King to the castle to see Merlin, but when Ignotus went inside to fetch him, he wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the city and King Arthur knew he was dying — the coughing up of blood for days on end meant that death was imminent. Perhaps even that night.” 

“So, what did he do?” Harry asked, eagerly. 

Fleamont smiled and held up a finger. “He told the only person he could trust — your great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Ignotus Peverell.” 

“What was the secret?” 

“King Arthur told Ignotus of a treasure that was taken from ancient empires throughout history — the Incas, the Egyptians, even the Americas. It was eventually discovered by a bunch of bigots—” 

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Bigot? What’s a bigot?” 

“A person who is intolerant of others opinions or beliefs.” 

Harry nodded in understanding and Fleamont continued. 

“Eventually though, the treasure was recovered from The Sacred 28 and protected by the Order of the Phoenix. An organization of which Merlin was a part of.” 

“King Arthur, as well?” 

Fleamont nodded. “They were only two remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix. It was especially important for them to pass on the secret since his half-sister was a dark witch, Morgan le Fay. She would do anything for that treasure, but that is a story for another time.” Fleamont paused before continuing on. “Which was why it was so important for the king to talk to Merlin that night. He needed to make sure they passed on the secret of the treasure before they both passed.” 

“But it was okay then, right? The King told Ignotus.” 

Fleamont inclined his head and brought his hands up, shrugging. “Well, sort of. King Arthur was very cryptic and didn’t actually tell Ignotus anything...only clues.” 

“So the treasure, it was never found?” 

“Correct. The King gave the clues to Ignotus and told him that the treasure was out of the Order of the Phoenix’s hands and was hidden in the United Kingdom somewhere by the Four Founders. And you know who they are, don’t you?” 

Harry nodded. “Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin,” he recited, holding up his fingers one at a time as he named them. 

“Very good,” Fleamont said, praising Harry with a pat on the head, ruffling his already dishevelled locks. “Now Ignotus searched for the treasure for years and years, eventually passing on the secret to his son, and his son after that. Then they found this.” Fleamont passed a note to Harry. It was old and worn, ripped on the edges. 

_ The Secret Lies with The Golden Snitch _

“The Secret Lies with The Golden Snitch,” Harry read. He looked up at his grandfather, his eyebrows scrunched while he contemplated the message. “What does that mean?” 

“We may never know, though we’ve been searching for ages. Me, and your father too. The Golden Snitch, whatever it is, is out there, just waiting—” 

“—What a bunch of tosh posh.” 

Harry jumped and looked toward the door where his father, James, was standing, his arms crossed across his chest. His eyes were narrowed but softened when they moved from Fleamont and onto Harry. 

“Father.” 

“James,” Fleamont said, standing up from the box. 

“Don’t take what he says too seriously, Harry. It’s just a bunch of stories to trick you into wasting your whole life away. Like he did his, and almost did mine.” James turned to walk back down the stairs. “Come, Harry. We’re leaving.” 

Harry nodded and watched his father walk down the stairs. He turned back to his grandfather, who was looking a bit put out. 

He knelt down in front of Harry. “Our ancestors wouldn’t lie, Harry. The treasure is out there. We just have to search.” 

“I believe you, grandfather, but I’ll keep that a secret from dad.” 

Fleamont nodded and bopped Harry on the nose. 

“Now, come on. We best get you downstairs before your father comes back up and rips into both our hides.” 

Harry laughed and followed his grandfather out of the attic. With one last look at the space he loved so much, he walked down the stairs, his mind reeling from what he learned. 

_ The Secret Lies with The Golden Snitch  _ he repeated to himself. He would find the treasure someday. For his grandfather, and to prove to his father that it wasn’t a waste. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Where the bloody hell are we?” Draco asked, looking around, his wand raised. 

“Godric’s Hollow.” 

Draco jumped a little, much to Harry’s amusement and turned to glare at Tom. “I’ve told you not to sneak up on me. How in the hell you sneak up on someone after Apparating without making a sound is beyond me.” 

“Lots of practice, Draco.” 

Draco shook his head. “Whatever.” 

“Now boys, let’s get along,” Harry said, lighting his wand with a quick Lumos. The others were quick to follow. 

“Where do you think it is?” Tom asked, looking around as they made their way down the abandoned lane. It was a ghost town having been abandoned long ago. 

The houses were in shambles — shutters hanging off the side of the house, gutters full of leaves, and doors wide open. It wasn’t exactly an inviting sort of place, not somewhere you wanted to be in the middle of the night. 

“Where are we going?” Tom asked again, his voice booming across the area.

“Shh—” Draco and Harry shushed him. 

“Keep your voice down,” Draco whispered, as Harry crept ahead. Draco stopped and dug around in his bottomless rucksack searching for a new artefact he was testing for the Department of Mysteries. “Ah-ha found it.”

“Draco, that looks like it might be it.” Harry nodded toward a house that looked like it was blown apart by an explosion. The roof was caved in, half of the house completely missing. 

“Let’s check.” He held the device he had just pulled out of his rucksack in the direction of the house, moving closer to Harry, Tom and his henchmen creeping behind him. 

The device lit up, a section of the house a neon colour, while the rest stayed dark. “It does look like there is magic residue.” He brought the device down to his side and nodded at Harry. “I am almost positive this is it. We’re here.” 

“Let’s go,” Harry said. He waved behind him, gesturing for everyone else to follow. Draco slipped the device back into his rucksack. They walked up and into the house with no issues, the door having been wide open. 

“Let’s split up,” Tom suggested, Snape, Dolph, and Yaxley nodding behind him. “We’ll take the bottom floor and the basement, you and Draco take the top floor and the attic.” 

Harry nodded in agreement. “Come on, Draco,” Harry said, moving toward the stairs. “Treasure awaits.” 

“It’s probably just a clue to the treasure.” Harry gave him a look, and Draco put up his hands. “It’s only the truth, honestly.” 

Harry just shook his head as they reached the second-floor landing. “Let’s split up — we’ll find anything quicker this way.” 

“Lumos maxima,” Draco muttered, his wand emitting a large light. Draco had always been a bit scared of the dark, even as a child. 

Harry took one side of the second floor, while Draco took the other. He peeked into several bedrooms, throwing open closet doors, nothing peeking his interest. Just a bunch of old, musty clothes that looked half chewed on by rats. He groaned in disgust and moved on. 

As he stepped back out into the hallway having been through two bedrooms and a bathroom, Draco stood there waiting, looking at the ceiling. 

“We have to go up there, don’t we?” 

“Sorry mate,” Harry said, clapping him on the shoulder. “If they didn’t find it in the basement, then what we are looking for should be up there.” 

Draco groaned but nodded his head. Harry twirled his wand toward the door to the attic, and it opened, the ladder lowering to the floor. 

“After you,” Draco gestured, and Harry laughed. He didn’t expect Draco to go first, but it was funny to see him put Harry in front as a sort of protection. 

When Harry reached the last step on the ladder, the top half of his body was already in the attic. Finishing climbing up inside, he took a good look around. At first glance, it looked like any other attic. It was filled to the brim with old or broken items. He spotted an armoire, a lampshade, several paintings, and papers scattered throughout covered in dust. 

“This place is disgusting,” Draco said, finally emerging. He raised his wand and cast a cleaning charm. The dust flew off all the miscellaneous items. 

“Thanks,” Harry murmured, making his way to the back of the attic. They needed to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

“Accio paper,” Draco called behind him. He must have been thinking the same thing, the papers now in a neat stack in Draco’s hands. He set them down on a nearby dresser before moving to the opposite side of the room. 

“What exactly are we looking for again?” Draco asked as Harry levitated a particularly heavy piece of furniture up and out of the way. 

Harry rolled his eyes. Draco knew but liked to test his patience. “A trunk or chest.” 

“Could it be a jewellery box?” 

Harry popped his head up and looked in Draco’s direction. The blond was crouched down. “Draco?” When he didn’t respond, Harry crept closer. “Draco?” 

Draco jumped to his feet and turned around, his hair coming loose from the gel he styled it with each morning. “Bloody hell, Harry! No need to sneak up behind me!” 

“I said your name, and you didn’t respond, I didn’t scare you on purpose.” 

Draco nodded, but Harry could tell he had given him quite a fright with his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Sorry, mate.” He tried to look around Draco, but whatever it was was too small. “Did you find something?” 

“Maybe.” Draco turned, grabbed the object, and held it out for Harry to examine. It was an ornate jewellery box, very old, perhaps something out of the 10th century. It was gold, which Harry thought was a good sign. They were looking for a secret that lies with The Golden Snitch. Harry continued to run his hands on the outside and waved his wand over it several times, but the spells came back inconclusive. 

“And your device won’t tell us if this is it?” 

“Just open the bloody box!” 

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist.” Harry slowly opened the box and there lie a golden snitch. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary about it — it looked just like one Harry had seen a hundred times in quidditch matches. Against his better judgement, Harry picked up the snitch without first examining it. Luckily, the snitch just fluttered its wings as if it was excited to finally be picked up. 

“Look,” Draco said, pointing to the side of the snitch facing him. “A clue!” 

Harry turned it around and read, “1st candles bewitched, books and cleverness.” 

Harry heard a commotion downstairs and assumed it was Tom and the men he claimed weren’t bodyguards. 

“Up here,” Draco shouted. “We found something!” 

They clambered up the stairs, Tom appearing first. 

“What is it?” he asked, strolling over to them. Harry handed over the snitch and let Tom examine it closer. 

“I figured when it said the secret lies with the golden snitch, it was a metaphor. I didn’t think it would be an actual snitch.” 

“I thought the same.” Harry stepped off to the side and began pacing in front of the large circular window. 

“What do you think it means?” Draco asked, stepping back against the wall and sliding down until his bottom touched the floor. 

Tom shook his head. “1st candles bewitched, books and cleverness,” he repeated. 

“Well, the number one obviously means first. Books and cleverness could mean anything...it’s quite a vague clue.” Harry clicked his tongue against his teeth as he mulled over the new information they had just acquired. 

“Books and cleverness,” Draco murmured. “What if—” 

Harry looked over at him. “Go on.” 

“Where do clever people who love books go? They go to the—” 

“Library,” Harry and Tom said simultaneously. 

“Brilliant Draco!” 

Draco shrugged. “I’m known occasionally for my in—” 

He was cut off by Harry who kept talking. “So 1st, something something, library. Candles bewitched is the missing part of the clue.” 

“So floating candles?” Snape asked, speaking for the first time. 

“Perhaps.” 

“Hogwarts has those during large feasts. They are bewitched to float in the air.”

“That’s it!” Harry shouted, the snitch fluttering in his hand, almost as if it was excited as well. 

Draco raised an eyebrow at him and rose from his seat on the floor. Harry launched into an explanation. “1st means the first edition, candles bewitched is referring to Hogwarts, and books and cleverness are referencing a library. So its—” 

“The first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ ,” Tom finished. 

Harry nodded. “Exactly.” But then his face dropped. “How are we going to get it?” 

“What do you mean?” Dolph, one of Tom’s henchmen, asked. Snape elbowed him after his question, rolling his eyes. “What?” 

“It’s protected quite thoroughly in The British Library. There’s no way we are going to get it out.” 

“I am sure they will let us examine it,” Tom told him. 

Harry shook his head, throwing his face into his hands. He groaned. “They aren’t going to let us examine the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ . It’s almost as old as the bloody school itself!” 

There was a moment of silence before Tom spoke again. “We could borrow it?” 

Harry looked up and looked Tom in the eyes. “Steal it? I don’t think so.” 

“Harry, the treasure of the Four Founders is the treasure of all treasures.” 

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Really?” 

Tom came closer to Harry. “Look, we all have our areas of expertise. Mine is not limited to writing checks. In the past, I have arranged several operations of questionable legality. So don’t worry, I’ll make all of the arrangements.” 

“No. I’m not going to help you steal the only known copy of the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History. _ ” 

“Alright then,” Tom said, taking a step back. “From now on, you’re only going to be a hindrance.” He motioned to Dolph who raised his wand. 

“Hey!” Draco shouted, moving closer. 

“What are you going to do? Are you going to kill me, Dolph? Well, you can’t shoot me. There’s more to the little riddle, information that you don’t have.” He pointed to his temple with his pointer finger. “It’s up here.” 

Tom made a hand signal, and Dolph moved his wand and now instead of pointing at Harry, was pointing it at Draco.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Draco swore, a far cry from the  _ hey  _ he yelled earlier when the wand was pointing at Harry. 

“Quiet Draco,” Tom sneered. “Your job is done here.” 

While Tom’s back is turned to Draco, Harry lifted his wand and pointed it in Tom’s direction. He didn’t want it to come to this, but he would fight, especially if his and Draco’s lives were in danger. 

Harry made a move to disarm Tom, but his wand was flung to the side and rolled away.

“Nice try though,” Tom said, smirking. “Now—” 

He was interrupted as Draco dashed for the fallen wand, his own in his right hand. 

“Do it,” Tom muttered, nudging Dolph. “Do it.” 

Harry watched as Dolph concentrated and instead of an unforgivable coming out of his mouth, fire erupted from the tip of his wand. 

“What the fuck?” Draco shouted. “Put out the bloody fire, you bloody imbecile! Are you trying to kill us all?” 

Dolph shook his wand, trying to put it out. It wouldn’t. He dropped his wand on the floor and made a dash for the stairs to the attic, Tom and Snape close behind. Tom was the last to disappear through the opening. He popped his head back up real quick to see that both Harry and Draco were trapped on the other side of the Fiendfyre. 

“Good knowing you, boys.” He snorted and moments later, the attic closed. 

“We’re so screwed,” Draco said, handing Harry his wand back. “So fucking screwed.” 

“We’re wizards, we can apparate. Grab my hand,” Harry yelled. Draco didn’t hesitate and placed his hand in Harry’s. Harry closed his eyes and thought long and hard about a destination, far away from here. When he opened his eyes, they were still in the attic in the old home. 

He looked at Draco, his friend’s eyes wide. “We can’t apparate. Tom must have put up an apparition ward to keep us from escaping.” 

“Dude is messed up.” 

Harry nodded in agreement. “As much as I’d like to discuss the morality of Tom Riddle, we have to find a way out of here.” Harry ducked, just as the fire lashed out. He looked around frantically and pulled Draco toward him. 

“There’s a small door — let’s go.” Harry ran, pulling Draco behind him. He wrenched the door open, throwing Draco inside. Harry closed the door behind him and lit his wand. 

Harry led the way as they crawled to the far back corner of the room where there was a small staircase.

“What in the bloody hell is this room for?” 

Harry talked as they ran down the stairs. “It is an escape route. In times of war, this was an easy and safe way for families to escape if their house was invaded.” The stairs never seemed to end, but eventually, they found themselves standing on a dirt floor. 

“Let’s go,” Harry said, leading the way through an underground tunnel. It seemed to last for ages, but eventually, they came out inside a field that was at least a mile from the house. They could see it burning in the distance and then watched as it exploded having reached the gas in the basement. 

“That was quick.” 

Harry nodded. “Fiendfyre moves quicker than a normal fire, we were lucky.” 

“What now?” Draco asked as Harry started walking back toward the house. 

“Now, we make our way back to London. We have a book to protect.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Harry walked at a fast pace toward a phone booth in the middle of Muggle London, Draco close behind. When they reached the booth, Draco leaned against it out of breath. 

“Is there a reason you’re walking so bloody fast?” 

“We have things to do, people to see.” 

Draco rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry I ever taught you that muggle expression.” 

Harry just looked at him with a pointed glare, and Draco put his hands up in surrender, hopping in the phone booth behind Harry. He closed the door as Harry picked up the phone and typed in several numbers.

“No more complaints, promise.” 

Harry chuckled. “We’ll see.” 

* * *

“I know I said I wouldn’t complain anymore, but this is going to be our third stop today. No one has believed us so far, what makes you think that this Dr Granger will think any different?” 

“We have to try,” Harry whispered as they walked into the British Library. He looked around in awe, the number of books almost overwhelming. It was one of his favourite places as a kid, especially since he travelled around so much. It felt like home. 

They approached the front desk where a woman with long dark hair and hooded eyelids sat. Her name tag told Harry that she was a cataloger and assistant to the archivist. They stood waiting as she raised her wand and sent some books zooming back to their places on shelves. 

“Can I help you?” she finally asked, setting her wand down on the desk. 

“Yes, we called a meeting with Dr Granger? I’m Oliver Williams, and this is Charlie Jones.” 

“She’s just finished up another meeting,” the woman said, standing up and smoothing down her skirt. “I’ll let her know that you’re here.” She gestured to the chairs nearby. “Please take a seat.” 

“Thank you,” Harry replied politely. 

They made their way over to their seats. “I still don’t know how you think this Granger guy is going to be able to help us. I mean—” 

“Gentlemen,” a feminine voice said, walking out of the office. A woman walked toward them, a closed mouth smile on her face. She was dressed in muggle dress attire — the pencil skirt hugged her curves, and the blouse left her slender arms bare. It left a lot to be desired, and Harry had to forcefully close his jaw before he started drooling. 

“Doc-Dr Granger?” Harry asked hesitantly as he stood. 

“That’s me.” She held out her hand, and Harry shook it. 

“I’m Oliver Williams, and this is—” 

Draco smiled and held out his hand as he stood as well. “—Charlie Jones, a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Pleasure is all mine. Let’s head into my office to discuss what is so urgent.” She led the way, Harry and Draco following behind her. 

“She’s hot.” Draco looked appreciatively at the retreating figure of Dr Granger. Harry couldn’t blame him, but they had more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. 

Harry smacked him across the chest with his hat. 

“What?” Draco asked offended, as they strolled into the office, shutting the door behind him. Harry just gave him a look as they took their seats. 

“Now, tell me what this is all about,” Dr Granger asked, folding her hands in front of her.

Draco cleared his throat before he began. “Now this is going to sound crazy, really crazy, but someone is going to steal the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ .” 

Dr Granger shook her head and chuckled. “I assure you, that is impossible. But if you are indeed worried, I think you might have better luck with the Ministry of Magic.” 

“Been there, done that,” Draco drawled. He lowered his voice and spoke to Harry. “Come on, we already have enough people thinking we are nutters. Let’s get out of here.” 

Dr Granger sighed. “And why do you think it is going to be stolen?” 

Harry looked at Draco who was now staring off into space, refusing to look at him or Dr Granger. 

“We believe there is a cartograph located somewhere in the book.” He coughed and looked down at his hands. 

“A map?” she asked, bringing her hands up to her mouth as if she were praying “Is this a joke?” 

“We have proof,” Draco finally said, rejoining the conversation. 

“I see, well, I have read and looked at every single page in the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, a History, _ and I can assure you, there is no map.” 

“You’re sure?” 

She nodded. “I’m sure.” 

“Uh, well, you haven’t seen it because it’s invisible,” Harry told her.

“Where is this proof you speak of?” 

“It was a riddle on the outside of an ancient golden snitch.” 

“May I see the golden snitch?” She held out her hand. 

Harry looked at Draco and sighed. He looked back at Dr Granger. “We don’t have it?” 

“Is that a question?” she asked. 

Harry shook his head and stood up. He reached his hand out and shook Dr Granger’s hand. “Thank you for your time.” 

“We’re leaving?” Draco asked. Harry opened the door when Dr Granger spoke to them once more.

“Let me assure you, Mr Williams, and Mr Jones, that the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ is safe. It is protected by barriers and barriers of magic designed to keep people away from it.” 

With a nod of his head, Harry rushed out, Draco following quickly behind him. Draco began to speak, but Harry cut him off until they reached the outside of the library. 

“Those are the names you chose?” Draco scoffed. “So ordinary.” 

“When the artefact goes missing, they will come after us because we reported it. That will keep them busy enough to keep them away for a while. Draco isn’t exactly a common name, is it?” 

“So you’re really going to steal it?” 

Harry nodded and slid on a pair of aviators. “I could really use your help.”

Draco just nodded his head. This wasn’t their first choice, but it had to be done. 

* * *

Hermione frowned as the two men left her office. They’d been to the Ministry, and the Ministry had sent them to her. They must have thought the whole thing a hoax as well. Despite it being an outrageous claim, Hermione’s curiosity was piqued. She walked out of her office and locked the door before securing her wand in her messy bun. 

“I’ll be out for the rest of the day,” she told her assistant. “Take my messages, and I’ll look at them tomorrow.” 

The woman nodded, and Hermione was off at a brisk pace toward the lift. Pressing the down button, she tapped her foot as she waited. When it arrived, it dinged, and the doors opened. With no one trying to get out, she stepped in and pressed the double zero button. The doors closed and moments later it was opening on the very bottom floor of the library. 

Her heels clicked across the white tile and approaching a glass enclosure, she lifted up her badge for the security officer to examine. He motioned her through a sensor to make sure she was who she claimed, and it flashed green approving her. Pulling out her wand, she waved it in front of the glass closure, bringing the wards down, allowing her to step inside. 

In the middle, on a pedestal, sat the object in question, the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ . 

She didn’t dare pick it up or physically touch it in any way in such a vulnerable environment, but she got as close as possible, her nose almost touching the front cover. 

“I’ve looked a hundred times,” Hermione murmured to herself. “But what if it is invisible, what if—” 

“Ah, Dr Granger, just who I was looking for.” 

Hermione rolled her eyes as she heard the voice and turned to the man that was her boss, Rufus Scrimgeour. He was appalling in every way to her, his overgrown beard resembling a lion’s mane and in need of some serious trimming. 

“Hello, sir, you were looking for me?” 

He nodded. “The book is about to be moved to the ministry for the gala tomorrow evening.” 

“Sir, I wanted to speak to you about that. Two men just made a visit to my office about someone wanting to steal this edition. I think it would be in the best interests to keep it here and safe even if we think it’s all a hoax.” 

The man laughed, and Hermione internally cringed. “Those men are treasure hunters, my dear! You can’t possibly believe what they are saying, not even—” 

“—Are we absolutely sure that this edition has been examined thoroughly in every possible way?” 

“Of course, it’s been around for centuries. It’s just a nice piece of history now. Nothing new to learn from it.” 

“Of course,” Hermione whispered, looking back at the book. 

“Now, off you go, we need to put the wards back up and put the book in a concealed container for transportation.” He paused. “I’ll see you at the gala tomorrow, should I pick you up?”

Hermione frowned. “Like a date?” 

“Well just as friends who are attending an event together.” 

“That’s a date...and you’re my boss.” 

“Well, technicalities.” 

“I’ll meet you at the Ministry, sir, have a good rest of your evening.” Hermione turned and walked away, leaving her boss in her wake. 

* * *

“Ready?” Draco asked, pulling the van up about a block away from the Ministry. He would enter like the rest of the guests, but disguised as a worker in the Department of Sanitation. 

“As I’ll ever be.” He zipped up his grey jumpsuit and took off his signature glasses. He waved his wand and kept his eyes open as he placed contacts in them. “How do I look?” 

“I am not sure if you want me to answer that question, you used several different spells to change your appearance and—” 

Harry cut Draco off by jumping out of the vehicle and slamming the door shut. He put the bug in his ear so they could communicate with each other while Harry was inside. 

“Good luck.” 

“We’ll need it, I think,” Harry said, following the droves of witches and wizards who were disappearing into underground toilets. 

It looked suspicious, but who was Harry to question the security of the Wizarding World? Harry waited in line for several minutes until a stall became available. He dug around in his pocket and found the golden Ministry of Magic coin he acquired the day before. Pushing the coin into the lock of the stall, it unlocked, and Harry stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Once he closed the door, the coin deposited itself back into his hand for future use. 

Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the toilet, one foot at a time. As the water started to seep through his shoes and into his socks, he wished the Ministry of Magic would find a more sanitary way of entering the building. Pulling the string above, Harry closed his eyes and moments later he was standing in a fireplace on the left side of the Atrium, facing the Fountain of Magical Brethren and thankfully, dry. 

“I’m in,” Harry whispered, walking with the rest of the guests. He made his way for a lift and waited, entering with a handful of other witches and wizards. They paid him no mind, eagerly chatting about the night ahead. He pressed level five for himself, and level ten for the guests in the lift. 

As he exited the lift, he quickly made his way to the nearest washroom. Once inside, he locked the door with a quick  _ colloportus _ to keep anyone from barging in. Setting his wand down, he quickly unzipped his grey jumpsuit, revealing dark green dress robes. He vanished the jumpsuit and the ugly trainers and lifted the charms he had placed on himself. 

“How do you look?” Draco drawled in his ear. 

Harry pushed his glasses onto his nose and attempted to flatten down his hair with no luck. “Good. Not like I’m about to steal something of significant importance to the Wizarding World.” 

“Well, thank Merlin for that!” 

Harry just shook his head at his friend’s antics. “I think I’m ready.” 

“Go get ‘em, tiger.” 

Harry nodded once more to himself in the mirror and made his way back out to wait for the lift. Thankfully, it quickly arrived with only a few late arrivals, preoccupied with their own business to notice him. 

When he got to the top floor, Harry stepped out and was immediately handed a glass of champagne from a nearby house-elf. He graciously accepted two, intent on finding Dr Granger. 

He searched through the sea of people before stumbling upon her. 

“Mr Williams, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” 

Harry handed over the glass of champagne he had grabbed for her. “Last minute donation.” He took a sip of champagne as well — it was quite good, and he said so. 

“You can thank Mr Nott.” She pointed in the direction of a man with ornate robes, a cane at his side, alligator boots on his feet. The refreshments are from his personal cellar.” 

“I’ll be sure to give him my thanks.” 

As she moved on, Harry gave her an awkward hug and nonverbally summoned her badge, flying into the sleeve of his robes. “Thanks for listening to us yesterday.”

“Oh, it was no problem at all,” she insisted, pulling away from him. “Oh, there’s my boss. I must make sure everything is going smoothly. Please, excuse me and enjoy yourself.” 

Harry nodded. “I will.” 

As she took off in the opposite direction, Harry set his half-empty glass of champagne down on an empty tray a house-elf was carrying and made his way to the perimeter of the room. 

“I got her badge,” Harry murmured, his eyes scanning the room. “The plan going well so far.” 

“Excellent. It’s all clear in the hallway next to you according to the footage. No Aurors in sight.” 

With Draco’s response, Harry carefully removed himself from the room, sliding out one of the side doors, hopefully unnoticed. The hallway was empty as Draco had said and Harry all but ran, careful to keep his shoes quiet on the hard floor. 

“This is the room?” Harry asked, approaching a set of double doors. 

“Yes.” Harry heard a bunch of clicking around, which he assumed was Draco on one of his muggle devices. “One moment before you enter. That archives lady from yesterday and some guy are in there.” 

“Her boss.” 

“What?” 

“That’s her boss,” Harry repeated. “She just ran off to him after she spoke with me to check on things she said.” 

“They are heading toward the door.” Draco paused. “Okay, they’re gone. The coast is clear.” 

Harry took a deep breath and pushed open the door. It was now or never. 


	4. Chapter 4

“I’m in,” Harry said, lowering his voice. “And the book is here, just as we knew it would be.” 

Draco whooped in his ear. 

“I wouldn’t celebrate too soon. They have this thing on lockdown, it won’t be easy.” 

“We knew it wouldn’t be,” Draco reassured him. “But you have the badge. We shouldn’t have too much trouble.” 

Harry took a deep breath and moved toward the middle of the room where the book looked to be unprotected but was enclosed in a glass box and several layers of wards. Any average person wouldn’t be able to see them, but Harry had a proclivity for wards. He could see, erect, and destroy them quite easily with little to zero hassle. Raising his wand, he began dismantling said wards, one by one, praying to Merlin that there wasn’t an alarm attached to them. 

“Careful,” Draco reminded him. 

Harry nodded, even though Draco couldn’t see it. Lowering the last ward, he waited for an alarm to go off, but none sounded. Carefully, he approached the glass box with Dr Granger’s badge in hand. He held it up to the sensor, and it beeped, the light turned green, and the door swung open. With as much care as he could muster at that moment, Harry grabbed the book and placed it in the front pocket of his robes. 

“Errr, Harry?” 

“I don’t like that uncertainty, Draco. What is it?” 

“I’ve just lost my visual on you. You  _ need _ to get out of there and  _ fast. _ I can’t help you.” 

“Well fuck,” Harry swore. He looked around, a bit frantic, and ran for the closest door. As he reached it, the door tumbled to the ground in front of him, much quieter than it should have. Looking up, Tom stood there, Dolph and Snape on either side. His eyes were wide as if he couldn’t believe Harry was there. His eyes glanced over to the now-empty case where the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History  _ had been and then looked back at Harry. 

In a split-second decision, Harry erected a shield and made a dash for the next door he knew didn’t lead into where the gala was taking place. He was hoping for an empty hallway where he could make his getaway. He moved quickly, but he heard several loud bangs behind him before he shut the door, casting powerful locks, preventing them from following him. 

Draco was talking to him, but he couldn’t hear anything he was saying. He couldn’t worry about that right now. 

Walking quickly, Harry wiped the sweat off of his brow and made his way back around to where the gala was taking place. 

“Harry, what is going on?” Draco asked, his voice frantic. 

“It’s Tom.” He was still breathing heavily from running away. “He’s here with Dolph and Snape.” 

“Damn. We should have expected this. They probably cast privacy spells, which is why my muggle equipment stopped working. It would have disabled the wards we put around it, not allowing it to run properly.” 

“That’s the least of our problems now.” 

“Least?” Draco scoffed. “Sounds like a pretty big fucking problem.” 

“Draco, I have the book. I just need to get out of here.” 

Harry made his way into the room where the gala was taking place, trying to get to the exit, the hallway he had been in a dead-end. At any moment, they would realize their precious artefact was missing, and they’d be on lockdown. He had seconds to get out of there. 

On his way to the main entrance, a table sat where a woman was selling copies of the newest edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History.  _

“Are you trying to steal that?” she asked. 

Harry shook his head. “What?” 

She pointed to his dress robes and looking down, he saw that the book he had just stolen was hanging a bit out of his pocket. 

“Er, no. Sorry, how much are they?” 

“11 galleons.” 

“11 galleons? Cripes, trying to rob a guy here.” 

The woman looked a tiny bit apologetic as she shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t make the rules, sir, I just follow them.” 

“I understand.” 

He dug around in his other pocket, coming up with a few sickles, but that’s it. Looking at her in desperation, she looked unimpressed and pursed her lips. 

“We take bank slips,” she said, pushing a slab of paper toward him. 

He quickly filled out the slip for two copies of the book, writing down his name, and the routing information for his vault. After she handed him the second copy, he bid her goodbye and walked out of the room. With his heart in his throat, Harry made his way to the lift, down to the atrium and out the guest entrance, unscathed. 

“Harry, Harry!” 

“What is it? I made it out fine if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

“The smart, book lady from yesterday is behind you.” 

Harry continued to walk toward the van and opened the back. 

“Mr Williams, Mr Williams!” 

“Yes, Dr Granger?” Harry turned around. 

She looked down at his hands and gasped. Looking around, she pointed and started yelling. Her wand started pulsing in her hand, telling her that there was indeed a theft. “Over here! Over here!” But there was no one, for which Harry was thankful. When he turned back to the van, intent on perhaps obliviating the woman, she grabbed the book from his hand and attempted to rip it from his grasp. 

Harry put up a bit of a fight before giving way and letting her take the book. Shutting the doors, he ran and jumped in the passenger seat of the vehicle. 

“Go!” He yelled. 

Draco looked out the window. “But the book!” 

“Just go!” As Draco put the van into gear, they watched as a food truck zipped on by. It went by Dr Granger and slammed on its breaks. The back doors opened and swooped her up. The man, Dolph, smirked and waved at the two before shutting the door. 

“Fuck, that was Tom. Go after them!” 

Draco looked bewildered but threw the car into drive and tapped his wand against the steering wheel, letting it control the driving so they could easily navigate in and out of traffic. A few moments later, they spotted the food truck taking a left. They followed, staying on their trail. 

“Get me up close to them.” Harry moved to the back seat and flung the side door open. 

Draco stepped on the gas, pulling up beside the food truck. Harry leaned out of the van, and with his wand, unlocked the door. Unfortunately, Dr Granger swung out as she must have been leaning on it, staying as far away from Tom and his cronies as possible. 

Luckily, Harry grabbed for her. He initially missed, and she swung back into the food truck. When she swung back out on the door, Harry grabbed her hand and with his magic, pulled her into the van and shut the door before they crashed into oncoming traffic. 

“They have the book!” she screeched, clawing at Harry to get the door of the van. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, staring at her. She continued to fight him, so he threw her back on the floor of the van a little rougher than he meant to, but it got her attention. “Are you okay?” he asked again, reaching for her hand to help her sit up. 

She nodded. “I’m fine.” She wrenched her hand out of his grasp and sat up on her own. “But they have the only copy of the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ . And because of that, I’m not fine.” She crossed her arms. 

Harry laughed and climbed into the passenger seat. He reached into a bag next to his feet and pulled out the book. “They don’t,” he said, waving it before stowing it back in his bag before she could grab it. 

Dr Granger was now on her knees right up next to the passenger seat. “How?” she demanded. “How is it you have it when I-I…” she trailed off. 

“I bought a copy.” He looked to Draco. “And speaking of that, we can’t return to my flat.” 

Draco gave him a quick glance before looking back at the road. “What? Why?” 

“When I walked by this table where a woman was selling copies of the newest edition, she caught sight of this one,” he said, gesturing to his bag where the first edition was. 

“And?” Draco asked. “You’re leaving something out.” 

“I might have had to pay with a bank slip because I didn’t have any money except for a few sickles.” 

“You can’t be serious!” Draco yelled. “Now, they’re going to be after us!” 

“Exactly,” Harry said calmly. “Which is why we can’t return to my flat.” 

“But-but all of our preparation...we had it set up to look at the book safely .” Draco rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. “What are we supposed to do?” 

Surprisingly Dr Granger had been very quiet during the entire exchange, but Harry wasn’t complaining. It was better than her trying to escape or call for help. 

Harry pointed to a sign on the side of the road, saying there was a park nearby. “Pull over here, we need a game plan.” 

* * *

Arthur Weasley moved through the crowds, his Aurors trying to get everything under control. It wasn’t chaos, but you could tell the guests were confused about what was going on — he planned to keep it that way. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, once he reached the Auror he had left in charge for the night. 

The Auror handed him a slip of paper. It was a bank slip with the name Harry Potter and a routing number to a vault in Gringotts. 

“Harry Potter, as in  _ the _ Potters? The treasure hunters?” 

The Auror nodded. “The very same.” 

“And why was he allowed into the party tonight?” 

“Sir, we checked everyone’s wands as they entered the ministry tonight. Nothing was out of the norm, and he wasn’t on the guest list.” 

“Find out more about this Harry Potter and get back to me...quickly please!” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Arthur sighed and ran a hand across his forehead, trying to calm himself. His Aurors weren’t incompetent —  _ they weren’t _ he kept telling himself. Schooling his features into what he hoped was nothing more than indifference, he walked over to the crowd, who quieted down when he approached. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being patient in this situation. We will be interviewing each and every one of you and searching your belongings before we let you leave this evening. Please give the Aurors your full cooperation so that this moves as smoothly and efficiently as possible. As this is an ongoing investigation, no further information can be provided at this time. Thank you.” 

He turned away just as an Auror walked up to him. The crowd behind him once again burst into loud chatter, talking about what might have happened for a full team of Aurors to be involved. For the moment, they were keeping everything quiet. Eventually, it would be leaked to the press, but now was not the time. No need for hysterics. 

“What is it?”

“It seems we got a tip yesterday that the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ was going to be stolen.” 

“And was anyone made aware of this? ” 

“It came from the treasure hunters. We didn’t take it seriously.” 

Arthur sighed. “Very well, get to tracking Harry Potter.” 

The Auror nodded and handed over the bank slip to let him look over. “Already in progress, sir. Our best are on the job.” 

“Let’s hope so,” he muttered, walking away and plucking a glass of champagne off a discarded tray. He threw back the liquid before straightening his shoulders and walking back toward his Aurors. “Let’s bloody hope so.” 


	5. Chapter 5

“What are we going to do?” Draco asked as they sat in a grassy park area. Harry could tell he was nervous — the Aurors were likely close on their tails. And if they weren’t, it wouldn’t be long until they were. 

“I don’t know. We don’t have the letters.” 

“What letters?” Dr Granger asked. 

Harry sighed, removed his glasses, and ran a hand over his face. “The Nicholas Flamel letters.” 

“You have  _ the _ Nicholas Flamel letters?” 

Harry nodded. 

“How do you have those?” 

“They’re scans of the originals. I happen to know the person with the originals, my father.” 

“How—”

Harry cut her off. “Please, Dr Granger, I am trying to think.” 

She huffed. “Well, at least call me by my given name since you brought me into this bloody situation. It’s no use continuing to call me doctor no matter how hard I worked for my degree.” She looked down at her hands. “They’re going to think I am involved and fire me. I’ll be a laughing stock to the historical and magical communities. I’ll have to move away, change my hair and my name.” 

Draco rolled his eyes at her hysterics. Harry had to stifle a bit of a laugh knowing it was usually Draco being dramatic. 

“Here,” Harry said, shoving the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ into her hands. “Now will you please shut up so I can think?” 

She nodded, and Harry turned away and began pacing. When he turned back around, Hermione had made a run for it, sprinting across the park. She had ditched her heels and left them laying by the van. Harry pulled out his wand and pulled her right back into his arms. 

“And where do you think you’re going?”

She tried to pull out of his arms, but Harry held on tight knowing she would make a run for it again. 

“Mr Williams, I must insist you let me go.” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “My name isn’t Williams, it’s Potter.” 

Hermione stopped struggling and looked up with him with wide eyes. “You mean Potter, as in the treasure hunting family?” 

Draco threw his hands up in the air. “Now, she bloody knows too. There is no way we are getting away with this.” He walked back to the van and kicked a tire. “There is no bloody way we are getting out of this.” 

Harry looked back at Hermione and sighed. “Yes, the treasure hunting family.” 

“You guys are completely nuts.” She held the book in front of him. “And you think there is a treasure map in this book. That’s absurd.” 

Harry pried the book from her hands and pushed her away. 

“You know what you have to do,” Draco said. 

“I know what we have to do, I am just thinking of anything else we  _ could _ do.” Harry looked up, and Hermione was still standing there. He shooed her with a wave of his hand. “You can leave now. We aren’t keeping you.” 

Hermione placed her hands on her hips. “Oh no, I am not leaving without that book.” 

“ _ Yes, _ you are,” Harry countered. “Goodbye.” 

He made a move to get into the van when she spoke again. “If you wanted to leave me behind, you shouldn’t have told me where you were going.” 

Harry sighed and leaned his forehead on the glass of the passenger side window. He looked at Draco where he was sitting in the driver’s seat. He was pretending to hit his head against the steering wheel — exactly how Harry felt. Harry looked back at Hermione, who was smirking at him. She knew she had won. 

“Fine, get in.” 

* * *

Draco pulled the van up, about a block away from Harry’s father’s home. 

Harry sighed. “I am not ready for this,” he admitted, but opened the passenger side door and hopped out. He opened up the sliding door to let Hermione out, grabbing her hand to assist. 

“Thank you,” she said, smoothing her dress robes down. 

The three of them walked up to the house, Harry still dreading seeing his father, especially since he gave up on treasure hunting so long ago. Raising his hand, he knocked his knuckles on the door three times before dropping his arm to his side. 

Several moments passed before the door swung open, and James Potter appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in his nightclothes — a blue robe tied loosely around his waist, a pair of slippers on his feet. His glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose and a book in his hand. It seemed they had interrupted his nightly reading. 

“Hey, dad!” Harry said, trying to force down the feeling of uncomfortableness. “We’re in some trouble, can we come in?” Harry turned his head to look up and down the street before turning back. 

Their differences in opinion regarding the existence of the treasure had put a rift in their relationship—one that had never been repaired. Of course, they still spent holidays together and such, but they didn’t see each other outside of that. 

James looked curiously at Harry’s two companions before turning his gaze on his son. 

“Is she pregnant?” James asked, pointing to Hermione. 

“Dad!” Harry could feel a flush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks. “If she was, would you leave your unborn child and his mother standing out in the cold.” 

“Well come in then.” He left the door open and walked away, Harry following in afterwards. 

“I look pregnant?” Hermione whispered to Draco, flattening her robes over her stomach. 

Draco shook his head and grabbed onto her arm, pulling her inside and shutting the door behind them. 

“So do you have the letters?” Harry asked, unzipping his dress robes and throwing them over a chair. He played with the suspenders he had put on earlier overtop his button-up. 

“What letters?” 

Hermione and Draco went and stood next to Harry as he continued the conversation. 

“Come on, dad, don’t play dumb. The Nicholas Flamel Letters.” 

“I don’t have them.” 

“You don’t have them?” 

“That’s what I said.” James pulled his robe tighter around his body. “I donated them.” 

“Donated them where?” 

“To The Gringotts Museum. They were just laying, around and I had no use for them.” 

“Bloody hell,” Harry said, turning to Draco and Hermione. 

“Okay, we still need to do this anyway. You have the book?” Hermione held it up. “Should I be worried?” 

“Don’t worry,” she said, holding it to her chest. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

Harry nodded. “Good, let’s test it here.” Harry turned back to his dad. “Do you have any lemon juice?” 

James waved toward the kitchen. “In the refrigerator.” He looked at them with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing? It’s not something to do with that treasure is it?” 

“What do you think?” 

“I don’t want that in my house!” 

“Dad, why don’t you go finish your nightly reading? We won’t bother you.” 

“Fine,” the man grumbled, walking away from them and heading to the library down the hall. 

“Right,” Harry said, rubbing his hands together. “Now let’s get to work. I’ll grab the lemons.” 

Draco stopped him. “You stay here, I’ll get them.” 

Harry was surprised by his offer until he looked up and saw Hermione looking a little putout. Harry frowned. “What’s the matter?” 

“If you think I am letting an untrained hand pour lemon juice all over the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ , you’ve lost your damn mind.” 

Harry laughed. “I’m not going to dump lemon juice all over the book,” Harry said. “That is stupidity.” 

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. “Well, if we are on the same page then.” 

“We are going to look at the inside of the front cover first. That is where any important information would be.” 

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side. “How so?” she asked, Draco walking in and setting a bowl of lemons on the coffee table. 

Harry held out his hand for the book, and Hermione gently placed it in his hand, her hand softly brushing his. 

“If this were my copy of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ , I would place my name here.” He opened the book and pointed to the left-hand corner. If there is a map here, there will be a symbol here to indicate so, like a key.” 

Hermione nodded in understanding and moved in closer as Harry set the book on the coffee table, next to the lemons. The three of them knelt on the floor as close as they could get to the book. 

“So we just put lemon juice on it, and it will appear?” 

“We will need some heat, so—” 

“Your breath,” Draco said. “While you two work on that, I’ll talk to your dad about finding a hairdryer. I’m just along for the ride with you two nerds.” 

Harry shook his head and looked at Hermione as Draco disappeared down the hallway. “He’s lying, he loves all of this. He just likes to pretend he doesn’t.” 

Harry picked up a cut in half lemon from the bowl and went to pour the juice on it when Hermione’s hand collided with his wrist. 

“What—?” 

“Like I said earlier,” she said, plucking the lemon from his fingers. “I’m not going to let an untrained hand handle a piece of ancient wizarding history. I am trained in handling documents and books of this nature — I should do it.” 

“You’re right.” Despite his knowledge of history, he wasn’t trained in handling the books as carefully as she was.

“Are there cotton swabs?” she asked, looking around. “Or gloves?”

“In the washroom, usually. Let me check.” Harry moved quickly to the bathroom on the first floor and rummaged through the medicine cabinet, finding two cotton swabs and one glove. He grabbed them and handed them to Hermione when he returned, joining her once more on the floor. 

“I could only find one glove, and well, I don’t fancy asking my father for anything else.” 

“This is fine,” she replied, slipping on the glove, pulling it tight against her hand. “Thank you.” She opened the front cover of the book, running a hand over it, caressing it. 

Harry watched, almost mesmerized by how she worked — so calm and collected, especially since she never asked to be in this situation. And now, she was helping him, and that would indeed secure her a spot in Azkaban prison, in a cell right next to his and Draco’s.

Hermione took the lemon in her un-gloved hand, the cotton swab in the other. She poured the lemon juice over the cotton swab, soaking it, leaving no dry spot. With a steady hand, she brought the cotton swab to the very tip of the left-hand corner, just as Harry had said, and swiped it across a large area, before pulling back. 

“Nothing,” she whispered. 

Harry was disappointed for a moment before he remembered the key ingredient. “Heat,” he said. “We need heat.” 

“Of course,” she breathed. Together they leaned down, so their mouths were hovering over the spot she had just wet with lemon juice. They looked into each other’s eyes and nodded before taking a deep breath and pushing out all of the hot air they could muster.

Just as Harry had predicted something appeared in the corner, but disappeared just as quickly. Harry grinned and wanted to whoop in excitement as Hermione smiled at him. 

“I didn’t believe you, but I believe you now.” 

Harry looked around, his heart pounding. “We have plenty of lemons, but we need more heat.” 

As if Draco knew they needed him, he reappeared, a hairdryer in hand. 

“This is my mum’s old hairdryer,” Harry mumbled. “She’s been gone for years, and he still has this?” 

Draco shrugged. “He told me to grab it. It was underneath his sink upstairs.” 

Harry shook his head, clearing it of old memories. They had work to do, and it needed to be done fast — no time to dwell on his mother’s death. Getting up from his knees, he unplugged a nearby extension cord and plugged in the hairdryer. 

“Couldn’t you have just used a warming charm on your wands?” James asked, having crept back out from the library, once more watching them. 

“No!” Hermione all but shouted. “This book is so delicate, it could damage the pages.” 

“What’s so delicate about it?” 

James moved closer, and his eyes got wider as he got closer. Before they could stop him, he read the words on the binding. 

“ _ Hogwarts, A History _ , first edition.” He looked up at them, his eyes wide. “Tell me you didn’t, Harry!” 

“I won’t say either way,” Harry replied. 

“Merlin,” James cried, shaking his head. “And I supposed he dragged you two into this mess?” 

Hermione raised her eyebrows. “Literally.” 

Draco laughed. “I volunteered.” 

“Well, un-volunteer! I spent decades of my life on this treasure, and all we did was find clues and then another clue and then another. It’s not a way to live your life.” 

“Dad, I found The Golden Snitch.” 

His eyes got wide once more. “You did?” 

Harry nodded and smiled. “She’s beautiful, exactly like the snitches in Quidditch games, maybe a little bigger, but more intricate and you could tell she was old, had been there a long time.” 

“And the treasure?” 

“Just another clue.” 

James all but growled. “It’s always another clue! Do yourselves a favour and stop looking.” 

He walked away again, and Harry shook his head in disappointment. There was a moment where his father had been excited once more about the treasure, but it was gone just as quickly. “Let’s get this map figured out and get out of here.” 

Draco nodded. “Agreed. The Aurors are definitely on their way to find us now.” 

The three of them together got enough heat and lemon juice on the inside of the front cover that the symbols were appearing for longer than a second. Draco was quickly copying them down as Hermione held the lemon juice and Harry kept the hair drying going. Within five minutes, they had finished. 

Hermione pulled the glove off and set the used lemons to the side. She and Harry moved to sit on either side of Draco to look at what he recorded. 

“They look like runes,” Hermione commented. 

“They are,” Draco and Harry replied simultaneously. 

“But what are they referring to? I don’t understand them.” She looked curiously at the other two. 

“I can only decipher them partially, for the full message we need—” 

“—The Nicholas Flamel letters. The little numbers on the runes and the dashes refer to certain words and phrases within those letters.” 

“Great, another clue!” James said, walking back into the room. He must have been eavesdropping on them. 

“Well, dad, we must be going,” Harry said, standing up. He picked up  _ Hogwarts, A History _ and carefully closed it shut. He handed it to Hermione, who placed it in the front pocket of her robes. 

“You can’t leave. The Aurors are going to come here and blame me for all of this.” 

Harry picked up his robes and threw them over his forearm. “Don’t worry about that, we’ve got it covered.” 

“We do?” Draco asked. 

Harry nodded. “Let’s get out of here.” 

* * *

Arthur Weasley walked up the steps to the house and rapped his knuckles on the door. 

“It’s open!” A voice shouted from inside. 

Mr Weasley drew his wand and placed his hand on the doorknob. Surprisingly, it was open as the voice had said. He quickly stepped inside, the rest of his Aurors filing in to search the premises. 

“Mr Potter?” he asked.

Walking into the living room, he lowered his wand seeing James Potter tied to a chair. He had a fast-food cup with a long straw in his hand, sipping from it. Arthur moved toward him and untied his hands from the chair. 

“You found me, thank goodness.” 

Arthur lifted an eyebrow. “I am assuming your son was here?” 

“You assumed correctly. They tied me up and left me here.” 

“Do you know where they went?” 

James shook his head. “I don’t.” 

“I see.” 

“Auror Weasley,” an Auror said, walking in from the garage. “It looks like there is a car registered to a James Potter, it’s missing.” 

“And they stole my car!” 

“It looks like they are travelling by muggle means to avoid their magic being tracked. Do your best to track the car.” 

“Yes, sir.” the Auror nodded before walking off. 

“Well, Mr Potter, I am going to need a statement from you, and then we will be on our way.” 

“Anything I can do to help,” James said, nodding. Arthur hoped he was telling the truth. He didn’t fancy throwing what was left of the Potter family into Azkaban. They might be a bit crazy, but they were still an ancient family, Harry the heir to the name. 


	6. Chapter 6

Harry looked from side to side as he led the other two down Knockturn Alley. He hated the place. It was dodgy, it was dirty and just downright disgusting. While Draco was off at Gringotts Museum, he and Hermione needed a change of clothes. 

“Why are we here?” Hermione asked. 

“Because we can’t waltz around in our clothes from the gala last night. We will be easily spotted. We need to change.” 

“Why Knockturn Alley though? This place is disgusting,” Hermione huffed. “How are we going to find any muggle clothes here anyway? People in this alley hate muggles.” 

“I know a place.” 

Hermione stayed silent for several more blocks before Harry led her down an alleyway. He opened a door of a storefront where the window was covered in dust and ushered her inside. 

Harry coughed as they entered and waved away the dust from his face. 

“Ah, Mr Potter,” a voice said. 

“Borgin,” Harry replied. “Do you have the clothes that I asked for?” 

“Indeed.” 

Harry forked over a handful of Galleons, and Hermione looked at him curiously. “I thought you didn’t have any money.” 

Harry grabbed the clothes from Borgin and motioned Hermione toward the back where they could change. “My father keeps some money in an old coin purse. I snatched it before we left.” He handed Hermione the clothes. “I hope they fit, I guessed on the size.” 

“I am sure they are fine. We can do magic, remember? If they’re too big or too small, I’ll adjust them.” 

“If you need to adjust them, we’ll use Borgin’s wand. They could be tracing us, remember?” 

“Right. Well, see you in a moment then.” 

Harry stepped into a small room next to the one Hermione had just disappeared into and quickly shed his clothes, making sure to fold them up nicely to keep here until he could pick them up. He was sure to have to pay Borgin more money to keep them. Otherwise, he would try and sell them — the man was greedy. 

“Harry, Hermione!” a voice called out. It was Draco. Harry opened the door while he fastened his belt. 

“What is it?” 

“I figured out the next clue,” he said, taking a deep breath. He must have run all the way from Gringotts Museum in Diagon Alley. It was at least two kilometres, if not more. 

Harry held up a finger before bending over to tie his shoe. “Hermione!” he called. 

She stepped out of the room she changed in. Harry stood up as she walked over, her robes in her arms. “I wasn’t sure what to do with these.” 

Harry took them out of her arms and set them on the floor with his. “We’ll keep them here until we can retrieve them later.” He looked at Draco. “Now, on with this clue.” 

“Okay so, I walked around Gringotts Museum until I found the letters, but then—” 

“Can you just please get on with it?” Harry asked. “What is the clue?” 

“Fine,” Draco said. He lifted up his notepad to read from it. “Mungo Bonham, London.” 

Hermione’s eyes went wide and looked at Harry. “St Mungos,” they said together, turning back to Draco.

“Dammit,” Draco mumbled. “I was hoping that I knew something you guys didn’t.” 

Harry placed a hand on Draco’s shoulder. “Sorry, mate. But I think it’s common knowledge that Mungo Bonham is the founder of St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.” 

“I suppose. But now we are just looking for another bloody clue in an obvious place. We are so done for.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic. With all the injuries growing up and Dad and Grandfather getting injured in the field, I am very familiar with the layout. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find.” 

“How do we even know where to go?” Hermione asked as they slipped through the Leaky Cauldron and out into Muggle London. The abandoned department store was right down the road, a walkable distance. 

“Nicholas Flamel has a research laboratory within St Mungo’s,” Harry said. “It’s rumoured that he created the Sorcerer’s Stone there along with many cures to diseases and such.” 

“What are we looking for?” 

Harry pursed his lips as they crossed the road. “Well, the Sorcerer’s Stone has been supposedly missing for centuries despite Flamel still being alive. If I had to wager a guess, I would say that we are looking for it.” 

“ _ The  _ Sorcerer’s Stone?” Hermione questioned. “You’ve got to be joking. There is no way it’s hidden in such obvious sight.” 

Harry shrugged. “It’s our only lead. And we have to keep moving, the Aurors have to be right on our tail.” 

“You keep saying that,” Draco drawled. “But I highly doubt it. The Aurors are about as competent as a wizard in Harrods. And that’s saying something.” 

Hermione snorted before collapsing into a fit of giggles. Harry took a moment to look at her while she wasn’t paying attention. Her mouth was wide open, showing a perfect set of teeth, her hair was blowing around, framing her face, and the muggle pair of jeans he had chosen perfectly hugged her curves. 

Draco elbowed him in the side, and Harry looked at him. “What?” 

“You’re staring.” 

Eventually, Hermione’s laughter died down, a smile still gracing her features. The three fell into step, nearing the abandoned department store inside the mall. 

“We can’t just waltz in there, can we?” Draco asked. 

Harry shook his head. “We can, but we are more likely to get caught, arrested, and thrown into Azkaban for the rest of our lives.” 

“Lovely,” Hermione said, her voice riddled with sarcasm. 

“We aren’t going to get caught though,” Harry told her. “We’re going to sneak in.” 

“We can’t even use our bloody wands for Merlin’s sake, so how are we supposed to sneak in?” 

“Why are you asking me that question? You’re the one who integrated yourself into the muggle world.” Draco said nothing and Harry continued. “If you don't understand, we’re sneaking in the muggle way.” 

“I got it, thanks,” Draco snarked. “I’m thinking.” 

“Think faster.” 

“You can’t rush genius, Harry.” Harry rolled his eyes, but Draco continued talking. “Well, I know the only way to get into the Hospital is through the floo network, or through the department store entrance. Our best bet is to go through the department store entrance and sneak around. As this isn’t a muggle building, I don’t think there are fire exits that can be easily disabled, unfortunately.” 

“Very well, let’s continue into the department store then.” He looked around. “If we stay out here much longer loitering, we’ll be spotted.” 

Draco and Hermione nodded in agreement, and the three of them confidently walked into St Mungos. Harry preferred to act like he owned the place — it wouldn’t draw as much suspicion if they acted like they were supposed to be there. Luckily, when they moved through, there wasn’t a nurse or a receptionist at the check-in desk or any patients in the waiting room. 

They quickly ran past, careful to keep their steps quiet. As they attempted to enter the Nicholas Flamel Research Laboratory of the hospital, they promptly dodged into a nearby closet as a healer in lime green robes exited. 

Hermione landed on top of Harry, Draco sprawled to the side. 

“That was too goddamn close,” Draco mumbled. 

Hermione stood up and held out both her hands to help both men up. 

“Thanks,” Harry said, running his fingers through his hair. He moved to the door and peeked out the small rectangular window. “The coast is clear.” 

Harry stepped out first, looking both ways down the hallway and seeing no one, gestured for the other two to join him. Harry grasped the doorknob to the research lab, but as he pushed it down, the door didn’t open. 

“Damn, it’s locked.” 

“Well, we  _ can  _ open it, you know,” Hermione said, matter-of-factly. 

He knew she was right. “I’ll take the fall, I don’t want them to know anything about either of you.” He pulled his wand out of his pocket and waved it at the door, unlocking it with a nonverbal alohomora. Harry pushed the door open and ushered Draco and Hermione through, locking the door behind him. 

“Why is no one in here?” Draco asked, looking around curiously. 

“They only research in the evenings. Something to do with lunar theory and how the moon assists in their research in chemistry and magic. They’re night owls.” 

“Sounds like a bunch of hosh-posh,” Draco said. “Bunch of lunatics...literally.” 

Harry grinned at his friends’ well-placed joke, before focusing back on the task at hand. “I think we should look in the specific room where the Sorcerer’s Stone was created. Follow me.” 

Harry crept down the hallway, still looking around cautiously as if another healer was going to appear out of nowhere in the seemingly abandoned wing. 

“There,” he said, pointing to a door. 

“That’s an office.” 

“It was Nicholas Flamel’s office when he created the Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s now the head researcher’s office, but it can’t hurt to have a look.” 

“If the stone has been missing for so long, wouldn’t they have searched in the most obvious places? This being the number one spot?” 

Harry didn’t respond to Hermione’s question as they approached the door. It was locked and once more with a wave of his wand, he unlocked it. “We need to move quickly,” he reminded Draco and Hermione. “I’ve used my wand twice now, they are sure to track us down and very soon.” 

Hermione pushed forward, opening the door. Harry looked at her with a frown. “What?” she asked shrugging. “You said we’re in a hurry and you’re moving as slow as a flobberworm. Move it.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Harry said, with a salute. The three of them squeezed into the small office area, most of the space taken up by a large desk. 

Harry ran his fingers over the oak desk, admiring the craftsmanship and the detail that went into creating it. He had seen photos of it before, it was made for Nicholas Flamel ages ago. 

“Harry, you’re not helping. Need I remind you — Aurors, Azkaban, imminent death,” Draco said, as he tapped several bricks on the wall.

“Really? Because you’re tapping bricks like you’re trying to get into Diagon Alley. That isn’t helping.” 

“I am trying to do whatever to help. You’re admiring a desk...please.” Draco rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. 

“Don’t be so dramatic. This is Nicholas Flamel’s desk.” 

“Wait, what?” He walked over to Harry. “Why didn’t you bloody say so?” Draco started ripping drawers open, papers flying. 

“Draco, stop! It’s not going to be so obvious that it’s in drawers. I know it’s hard but use your brain. Don’t let the situation fluster you.” 

Draco frowned and crossed his arms. “Fine, what do you suggest?” 

“Perhaps there is a hidden compartment?” Hermione suggested, joining the conversation. 

“Perhaps, you’re right,” Harry moved to the floor on his hands and knees to exam the side of the desk. “Draco, will you pull it away from the wall?” 

Draco and Hermione both lightly pulled on the desk, bringing it away from the wall enough that Harry could crawl underneath and on his back, examine it. 

“This is it,” Harry said in awe, his fingers running across the runes etched there. “There are runes here, just like the ones we found in  _ Hogwarts, A History _ .” With a light push with two of his fingers directly on the two runes, a drawer popped out. Harry pulled it out and inside, sat the Sorcerer’s Stone. 

Harry lifted it out of the little compartment and stared at it for a long while, the light reflecting off of it as he stood from the ground. “I think we need to get  _ Hogwarts, A History _ out again and examine it with this.” 

“Examine it with a bloody rock? You have got to be kidding me.” Draco pulled it from Harry’s fingers to look at it. “It looks like nothing we should be able to look through. Why couldn’t Flamel have left his damn spectacles for us to look through?” 

“Here,” Hermione said, pulling  _ Hogwarts, A History _ out of her inside jacket pocket. “But we need to be quick.” 

It was a good reminder and he glanced out the window, and was relieved to see that they were still clear. Harry took the stone back from Draco as Hermione opened the book and held it in her open palms. Harry took a deep breath and held the stone up to his right eye, looking down at the book. 

“Woah, this is incredible, you have to see it.” Harry brought the stone down away from his eye before taking the book out of Hermione’s hands and handing her the stone. 

She mimicked what he had done and held the stone up to her eye, looking down at the book. “Merlin, how can this be?” 

Harry shrugged. “It’s amazing, what do you think it is?” He turned to Draco who was peering out the small window on the door. “Do you want to have a look?” 

“I’d rather get out of here because you-know-who just walked into the main area of the hospital.” 

“You-know-who?” Harry peaked over Draco’s head. “Oh, Tom.” He grabbed the small drawer that the stone had been kept in, casting a spell to build a top, so it looked enclosed. “We need to go.” 

“What do we do?” Hermione asked, the stone in her hand. 

“We need to split up. We don’t want Tom to have the stone or the book, but we definitely don’t want him to have them both. You two go with  _ Hogwarts, A History,  _ I will take the stone and this now empty container. I don’t know who is going to go after which one of us. Meet back at the car when you lose them, be careful.” 

Hermione and Draco both nodded. Draco grabbed Hermione’s hand that wasn’t holding the stone. “This way, I saw an exit this way. Must be for employees only.” 

“Bye,” Hermione said, waving as Draco pulled her out of the door. “Be safe!” 

“Bye,” Harry replied, his response lost as they were already gone. He quickly tucked the stone into the pocket of his jacket and held onto the drawer. Shutting off the lights, he peeked out the door to see Dolph take off in the direction of Draco and Hermione. He must have seen them leave. One down, two to go. 

Harry snuck out of the office, careful to shut the door behind him, so it didn’t slam. When Tom walked by with Snape, Harry made a dash for it, intent on leaving St Mungos the same way they came in. 

“Hey!” Tom yelled. “What are you waiting for? Go after him!” 

Harry sprinted like his life depended on it. Well, it really did, unsure of what Snape would do once he got his hands on him. It comforted Harry a bit to know that Snape wouldn’t kill him because Tom needed him to solve the various riddles that continued to be thrown their way. 

Several healers yelled at him as he rushed out of the building, running into several carts, sending medical supplies and patients to the ground. He would apologize later if he had the chance, but right now, he didn’t plan on being caught. 

Harry ran, looking back occasionally to see Snape right on his tail. He intended to stick to Muggle London where magic couldn’t be used, especially since he didn’t fancy letting the Ministry of Magic know of his exact location. He ran down an alley after several blocks on the main street and saw that it was blocked. Harry doubled back and found a fire escape that led to flats above the shops and began climbing, Snape still on his tail. Now that they were out of sight of muggles, Snape pulled out out his wand and sent several stunning spells his way, trying to slow him down. 

“Just give up!” Harry yelled down, trying to taunt the man. He knew he could get inside his head, Snape being insecure about many things. “You’ll never be Tom’s right-hand man. That was always me! And now it’s Dolph. You’ll always be second best, and we both know it.” To Harry’s chagrin, Snape didn’t seem flustered by his words. 

When Harry arrived on the roof, he realized he couldn’t get down unless he used magic. Snape climbed up on the roof as well, his wand pointed in Harry’s direction. Harry looked over the side of the building — it was a long way down. He drew his wand...just in case. 

“Not so brave now, are we Potter?” Snape sneered, moving closer. 

In a move that surprised Harry, Snape moved with surprising grace and speed, coming at Harry at full force. Harry tossed the box he was holding, and Snape ran for it as it tumbled down the side of the roof. With a wave of his wand, Harry landed on the ground with a cushion and ran off, leaving Snape with an empty box and no one to say where it came from. 

* * *

“Where should we go?” Hermione asked, unlocking her fingers with Draco, pumping her arms to get her up to full speed. They ran down the street they had walked up to St Mungo’s on and turned a corner. 

“We should stick to Muggle London. They're more likely to use force than magic, and that is what we want right now.” Draco pulled her down an alley and watched as Dolph ran past. He let out a sigh, trying to catch his breath. “He’ll be back this way before long. I think our best bet is to hide somewhere and—” 

“Fuck, go—” Draco shouted, Dolph coming at them from the other side of the Alley. When they exited, Draco went to the left, Hermione to the right. When she looked behind her, Dolph was chasing after her, Draco going in the opposite direction.

Rounding a corner, Hermione ran into a building where several businesses were. She dashed into the first open door — a bakery and ran by a sign that said  _ employees only _ taking refuge behind the counter. 

“You don’t belong here,” a woman said, looking down at her before looking back up. She was an older lady with grey hair, her clothes a bit rumpled and dirty, probably from her line of work. 

“I’m sorry,” Hermione said, her voice quiet. She heard the chime of the door and prayed to Merlin it was just another customer. Hermione gripped the stone tightly in her hand. “I am hiding from my ex-husband.” 

The door chimed again, and Hermione closed her eyes, hoping. “Can I help you?” the woman asked, talking to the customer who just walked in. No one answered, and the woman asked again, raising her voice. “I don’t have time to stand here and wait, can I help you?” 

“Shut up.” Hermione’s eyes went wide as she heard Dolph’s voice, but she relaxed when the door chimed again signalling his exit. 

“That man your ex-husband?” 

Hermione nodded. 

“Honey, you can stay here as long as you like.” 

“Thank you—er, what is your name?” 

“Ms Figg,” the woman replied with a smile. 

“Thank you, Ms Figg, I appreciate it,” Hermione stood from her place on the floor and looked around cautiously as if Dolph would reappear at any moment. 

“Hermione, there you are!” Draco said, the door chiming as he entered. “We have to go!” 

“But Dolph, where is he?” She stood on her tiptoes to look over Draco to see if the man was still out there. 

“He’s gone. I snuck in once he took off down the street. It looks like Tom has them using walkie talkies. I heard them say Snape lost Harry, so that is good news.” Draco laughed. “Idiots.” 

Hermione smiled. “We need to get back to the car, remember?” She nodded and waved goodbye to Ms Figg as they walked out the door. 

With quick steps and little conversation, Draco and Hermione rounded a corner and saw Ian walking quickly towards them. 

“Bloody hell,” Draco murmured. 

Hermione had already run out into the street to get away. Looking to her left, she froze as a large truck was barreling her way. Frozen, she couldn’t make her legs move. Just as the truck drew near, she felt her legs fall out from underneath her and hit the ground hard. The truck raced by, honking its horn. 

To her right, she saw Draco lying on the ground next to her. He had pushed her out of harm’s way. He got up and pulled her out of traffic, barely missing several other vehicles. 

Her relief was short-lived as she looked to where Tom was. Her face immediately fell as she realized  _ Hogwarts, A History _ had fallen out of her jacket when Draco had tackled her out of the way. Tom strolled over to it and picked it up. He ran his fingers over the front cover, lifted it into the air in thanks, and jogged away, disappearing from their line of sight. 

“Fuck!” Draco said. “Let’s get out of here.” 

As they made their way back to the van, Draco waved his wand, conjuring his Patronus. “We’re safe...and mostly unharmed.” He glanced Hermione’s way, giving her a once over. “But Tom got the book.” With another wave of his wand, it disappeared, off to deliver the message to Harry. 

They were silent except for their heavy breathing as they made their back to meet Harry. Only a few more blocks and the van would be in sight, right outside the alleyway next to the Leaky Cauldron. Several more minutes passed and as they approached The Leaky, Draco spotted Harry, pressed up against the vehicle, magical handcuffs being placed around his wrists. Harry’s head was facing their direction and shook his head back and forth. Without hesitation, Draco grabbed Hermione’s arm and pulled her around the nearest corner.

“What are we going to do?” Hermione asked, looking around. “He has the stone, that means the ministry has the stone.” 

“Tom has the book though, Hermione, the stone is useless without the book. And since Harry has it, it means that Tom does not. This could actually work in our favour.” 

Hermione bit on her lip. “You’re right, I have an idea. It’s crazy, but it just might work.” 

Draco laughed. “After being friends with Harry for several years, nothing you tell me will be as crazy. Promise.” 


	7. Chapter 7

Harry sat inside a small, white room at the Ministry of Magic, his hands locked in magical handcuffs, his legs in shackles. Arthur Weasley, Head Auror in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement sat across from him, several Aurors standing throughout the room. He didn’t blame them for being cautious because he did steal the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ right in front of their eyes, but they just didn’t seem to get it, no matter how many times he told them. 

“I’m telling you, it’s the truth!” Harry said, leaning forward in his seat. “Everything I told you was the truth. Now, I am a treasure hunter, but in this case, I was trying to protect the book from someone who doesn’t care about historical artefacts and would have carelessly destroyed it not knowing its value.” 

“So you’ve said.” Weasley looked up at him from the sheet of paper he was holding. The man looked tired, black circles under his eyes. 

“Listen,” Harry said. “Let me get the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ back. Tom Riddle can’t find the treasure without the stone which you guys now have. I’ll cut a deal with him. Tell him I’ll give him the treasure if he gives us the book.” 

“Why don’t you tell us what the map in the book said, and we’ll go make the trade with Mr Riddle.” 

Harry just shook his head. “Tom is too smart for that.” 

Head Auror Weasley just nodded his head, his brow was furrowed like he was in deep thought. 

“Head Auror Weasley?” one of the Aurors asked from the side of the room. 

“Yes, what is it?” 

“I’ve just gotten a message from the communications department. It seems that a memo is coming through for Mister Potter. Should we let it through?” 

“Let it through.” 

Only seconds passed before an Auror opened the door, and a memo landed on the table in front of Harry. 

After a brief nod from Weasley, Harry moved his handcuffed hands over and picked up the piece of parchment. He carefully unfolded it, smoothing it out onto the desk. 

“It’s a ransom demand,” Harry said, his eyes skimming across the page. “He wants me and has requested that I be released and that no Aurors or Ministry Agents follow me.” 

Weasley banged his hand on the metal table. “Absolutely not.” 

“It also says that if you don’t comply with his demands by midnight tonight, he’ll—” Harry choked, horrified at the next words on the page. 

“He’ll what?” Weasley asked, his teeth gritted. 

“He will tear out a page of the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ and rip it into tiny pieces every hour and send it to you in a box.” 

Harry could tell Head Auror Weasley, and the rest of the Aurors were horrified by that notion, as was Harry himself. 

“I hate to break it to you Weasley, but he isn’t bluffing.” Weasley is staring daggers at him, but at this point, the situation is out of his hands. “But if you want to negotiate, I believe this is a two-way piece paper. If I could have a quill?” 

All of the Aurors in the room looked at Head Auror Weasley for guidance. “Get the man a goddamn quill!” 

The Auror closest to the door scrambled out and returned moments later with a quill and inkwell. It was challenging with his hands cuffed, but there was no way they were going to take them off. He dipped in the quill and began writing. 

_ Hello, Tom  _

Harry waited a moment and watched as his words disappeared. Moments later, words appeared back to him. 

_ Platform 9 3/4. London. 3 hours.  _

Harry showed the message to Weasley, and he nodded his head. Harry pressed the quill to the paper once more. 

_ Anything else?  _

They waited just seconds before the next message appeared. 

_ No Aurors. No wires. Or no deal.  _

“Well then,” Weasley said, pushing his chair back, screeching against the floor. “We best get ready to go to the Platform, should we not?” 

* * *

Harry arrived at Platform 9 ¾, alone, but a magical bug in his ear where Weasley and his team of Aurors could hear everything. The Platform was completely empty except for Harry. 

“Anything yet?” Weasley asked in his ear. 

“Nothing.” Harry looked around as if Tom would materialize at any moment in front of him. 

“He’s late.” 

Harry didn’t respond but yet walked toward a coin piece on the ground. “Auror Weasley?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I think I’m not quite done with treasure protecting.” 

“Wait, move in, move in—” Harry heard the panicked voice of the Head Auror before ripping out his earpiece picking up the coin. With a wave of his wand, the portkey activated and Harry was whisked away just as the Aurors Apparated onto the Platform. 

* * *

Harry landed perfectly with his feet on the ground, having had more than enough practice with portkeys when travelling. Dolph was leaning against a black car, and he tossed a muggle cigarette to the side. 

“Harry, welcome to Inverness,” Dolph said. “Now, let’s go.” Dolph grabbed him by the elbow and shoved him into the car. He hopped in the passenger seat before the man, one Harry didn’t recognize, put the car in gear and began driving through the city. 

“Where are we going?” 

Dolph didn’t answer, he was sending a Patronus. When he was finished, he turned back to look at Harry. “Why don’t you ask your girlfriend? She is calling all of the shots now.” 

Harry smirked as Dolph turned back to the front. They sat quietly for a while before a ringing noise replaced the silence. 

“Burner,” Dolph replied, having seen Harry’s curious look. “She made us get one so she could communicate back and forth with us. Owl post takes too long.” 

“She’s right, it doesn’t. Bloody annoying.” Harry was almost weirded out by the normal conversation he was having with Dolph. It was even odder that he knew how to use a muggle cellphone. 

Dolph nodded in agreement as he answered the phone. “It’s for you.” He handed the phone back to Harry. 

“Hello?” 

“Harry, oh Harry, we are so glad you’re okay.” 

“Me too, sweetie,” Harry said, egging on the girlfriend route while in front of Dolph. If he thought she was Harry’s girlfriend — he wasn’t going to correct him. “Are you okay?” 

“We’re fine, both of us. We had a couple close calls, but all is well.” Hermione paused. “Anyway, you’re probably wondering how we got you out.” 

“I am.” 

“Well, we needed to get you out of the Auror’s hands, and since that is against the law, we called the only criminal that we know — Tom.” 

“Very clever,” Harry told her. He looked out the window, and they were nearing the town of Hogsmeade. Harry mentally made the note that Tom had figured out enough to get him close to Hogwarts. 

“Thank you, but there’s a catch. We had to let Tom believe that he could have the treasure, or he wouldn’t help us.” 

“I expected nothing less.” 

“But Draco here is tracking the car you’re in with some muggle technology, just in case he tries any funny business. Then we can summon the Aurors right away and blow the whistle on this whole thing.” 

“He’s here,” Harry heard Draco say in the background. 

“See you soon.” The line went dead as she hung up. 

Harry handed the phone back to Dolph, who nodded his head towards the door. “Get out.” 

Harry got out of the car and looked around. Tom appeared around the corner, The Golden Snitch and the copy of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ visibly in his hands. “Here, you are, Harry,” Tom said, laying the items on top of the car. “Now, tell me, what is the next clue?” 

“The Black Lake,” Harry told him with zero hesitation. 

“The Black Lake?” Tom repeated. “That’s it?” 

“Yes,” Harry grabbed The Golden Snitch and the book. “Now, cheerio.” 

Tom grabbed Harry’s wrist as he turned away. “There’s something you’re not telling me.” 

“Tom, you know me, I can’t bluff, I can’t lie.” 

Tom laughed. “I know, and that’s how I know you’re lying. Tsk, tsk, Harry. You know, when you’re bluffing, you have got to be holding all the cards.” 

Tom gestured to the road as another car pulled up. Dolph opened it, and there sat Harry’s father, James. His hands were bound, and his mouth was taped shut. He tried to make a noise, but Dolph shut the door. He tapped on the door, and the car drove away. 

“What do you want, Tom?” 

“You know what I want, Harry, I want the next clue. Let’s go inside and talk.” Tom looked around. “And get Draco and Miss Granger too, I am sure there are around here somewhere.” 

As if they had been summoned, Draco and Hermione appeared from across the street, walking out of a popular inn and pub, The Three Broomsticks. “The Hog’s Head is a good place,” Hermione suggested, coming to a stop in front of them. “Why don’t we head into there?” 

Tom nodded his head in agreement. The large group consisting of Harry, Hermione, Draco, Tom, Dolph, and Snape, walked down the main road in Hogsmeade before cutting down a side road and entering the establishment. There, another one of Tom’s men, Yaxley, waited with his father, James. 

“Dad, are you okay?” Harry asked, rushing over to him and looking him over for any injuries. 

James waved his concern away. “I’m fine, but you got us into this mess, now get us out of it.” 

“Butterbeer, please,” Tom called. The barkeep nodded his head and stopped polishing the dirty glasses. “And make sure the glasses are clean.” The man bared his teeth and nodded once more. 

Everyone took a seat, Tom, Harry, Draco, James and Hermione at one table, everyone else at the next. Their Butterbeer floated toward them moments later. They took a moment to take a sip before getting down to business. 

“Now, I am assuming you have the stone?” Tom asked. 

Harry nodded and pulled it out of his pocket. Luckily, Weasley had entrusted it to him before he went onto the Platform. Harry placed the stone, the Golden Snitch, and the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ on the table in front of them. 

Harry opened up the front cover of the book and brought the stone up to his eye once more. He saw what he noticed before — the path to Hogsmeade. But this time, instead of bringing the stone away from his eye, he turned it and gasped. He turned twice more, a new image appearing each time. If he held it just right, he could see all of the images combined. 

Harry brought the stone down from his eye. “Wow, this stone is truly incredible. And not just because it produces an elixir for everlasting life.” 

“What is it?” Tom asked, his eyes full of curiosity. 

“Take a look for yourself.” Harry handed the stone over to Tom, though a bit reluctantly. “Turn it several times, and you’ll see what I am talking about.” 

Tom did as Harry said before handing the stone to Draco and then to Hermione and finally to James. 

“What does it mean?” 

“Well, it shows a picture of Hogsmeade on the left side of the cover, a picture of the Blake Lake on the right side, and the middle—” 

“—shows the crest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” Hermione replied, as James handed the stone back to Harry. 

“Exactly,” Harry said, pocketing the stone. 

“You think the treasure is in the school?” Tom asked. 

Harry nodded. “I do, but there is no way the Headmistress is going to let us in despite it being a school holiday to look for treasure. We’re going to have to sneak in.” 

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” 

The bartender made a noise as if he was clearing his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think I might be able to help you there. If you’re ready, follow me.” 

Harry stood up from his seat, pocketing the Golden Snitch and the first edition of  _ Hogwarts, a History _ . Tom had kept his word and didn’t say anything as Harry filled his pockets with the items. 

The large group abandoned their Butterbeer and followed the barman into a small room, probably used for private parties or meetings. “There,” he said, pointing to a portrait of a young girl. She smiled and waved at them, beckoning them forward. “She’ll take you inside the school, but from there, you’re on your own.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said, shaking the man’s hand. Harry was glad to bid him goodbye as he was quite dirty and smelled of livestock — he thought he heard the bleat of a goat outside but wasn’t sure. 

The portrait opened up, revealing a small passageway. Tom turned to his men. “You stay here, Yaxley. If anyone comes out without me…” He trailed off, but none of them needed him to finish the sentence. It was keep Tom alive or lose your life on the way back out. 

Tom went first into the tunnel, Dolph behind him. Then Draco. Hermione put her leg up to crawl into the tunnel when Harry stopped her, grabbing lightly onto her wrist. 

“Hermione, wait.” She turned toward him, and he pulled her close and into a kiss. It was far too short, but now was not the time for romance. When they pulled away, Hermione smiled up at him. “I couldn’t go in there without doing that.” 

“I’m glad you did,” she murmured, pressing another quick kiss to his lips. She pulled away and climbed into the hole, Harry immediately after. 

Harry had to stifle a laugh when he heard Snape say, “Why does that never happen to me?” 

With Snape in the tunnel behind them, they were closed in. It seemed to take a while, but eventually, the tunnel evened out, allowing them to walk in a crouched position. After what had to be at least half an hour, Harry could see light. As his eyes adjusted, they were at the end of the tunnel, and he climbed out behind Hermione. Once Snape was on his feet, they all looked at Harry. 

“Where should we go now?” 

“Well, I have done some research on Hogwarts in the past, and all of the secret tunnels. I think that the treasure would be hidden deep within the castle and away from students. I think we should head to the fourth floor. That passage has been sealed off for centuries, and no one has bothered to look there.” 

Tom nodded. “Lead the way.” 

Harry stepped out of the room, Hermione holding onto his hand, Draco close behind. They walked quickly, Tom and his henchmen bringing up the rear.”

“What are we looking for exactly?” Hermione asked, looking around curiously. 

“All of the texts I read said the blocked passageway was behind a mirror.” He paused and pointed to the far corner of the fourth floor. “There, that looks like it could be it.” 

Walking to the mirror, Harry stood in front of it. It seemed to be an ordinary mirror, but Hermione pulled out her wand and tapped on it. It opened showing a cluster of rocks blocking their way, just as Harry’s research suggested. 

Snape stepped forward, and everyone stepped back. With no sound and a sharp movement forward with his wand, Snape crumbled the rock into dust. How no one had done that in the many years Hogwarts had been opened in search of the treasure was a mystery, but Harry wasn’t going to question it any further. 

Tom gestured Harry to go first. Harry took a deep breath and lit his wand — hopefully, the wards of Hogwarts would mask his magic, allowing him to evade capture for a bit longer. The tunnel was windy, and it felt like they were moving down at a slight decline. Thankfully, it was short, and Harry saw an outline of a door, though it was covered in dirt. He pushed it open and stepped inside, looking around while the others followed him in. It was a bathroom with high ceilings, water covering the ground. 

“Is this the treasure?” Draco asked. 

“It’s not,” a voice said. 

Harry whipped around and sitting in the u-bend was a ghost. She was a young girl with dark hair and pigtails, dressed in a Ravenclaw Hogwarts uniform. 

“Who are you?” Harry asked, looking at her curiously. 

“I’m Moaning Myrtle! I wouldn’t expect you to know me! Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping, Moaning Myrtle?” She screeched and moved from where she was sitting to a nearby toilet, the water splashing as she disappeared. 

“She’s a little sensitive,” Hermione commented. 

“Maybe, but we need her help — she could have some vital information.” Harry looked around once more, taking in his surroundings. “Let’s split up. Look everywhere for any clues.”

The group did as Harry said and split up. Harry moved over toward the sinks and looked closely at the mirror frame, but it was the tap of a particular sink that caught his eye. It had a snake carved into the side. 

Myrtle came back out of the toilet she had just disappeared down and this time floated right next to Harry. “You aren’t the first one to come looking for the treasure. But they always think this is a dead-end when really it’s just a small piece to the bigger picture.” 

Harry frowned. The rest of the crew had come closer and was now listening in to the conversation. “Myrtle, how did you die?” 

“It’s tragic,” she said, sniffling and turning away. After a few wails and cries, she turned back to them, wiping at her eyes. Harry snuck a glance at Hermione, and she was looking at the ghost with her hands over her chest, obviously not impressed by the dramatics. 

“Tell us what happened,” Harry said. “Please.” 

Myrtle nodded, her pigtails bobbing. “Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses,” she said, making a show of pushing them up her nose. “I was in here crying, in that stall over there.” She pointed — it was the one she had disappeared into earlier. 

“And while you were here, what happened?” Hermione asked. 

“I heard someone come in here, they had a strange sort of voice. I opened the door to tell them to go away, and I died.” She moaned as if she was in agony. 

“Just like that?” Harry asked. 

She nodded and snapped her fingers. “Just like that.” 

Tom came forward. “Do you remember anything else? Anything strange or unusual?” 

“All I remember is a pair of great big yellow eyes, over there by that sink.” She pointed to the sink Harry was standing by, the one with the snake etched on the side of the tap. 

“It has a snake on the side,” Harry told the group, running his finger over it.

“What does that mean?” Hermione asked, stepping forward to wrap one of her arms around Harry’s elbow. 

He turned back to the group. “Have any of you heard about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets?”

Hermione nodded along with Harry’s father, but the rest of the group shook their heads. He looked at his watch, they couldn’t waste much more time, but it was important. 

“The Four Founders, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin used to live in harmony here at Hogwarts, teaching and guiding new students in the ways of magic. Eventually, tension rose between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff against Slytherin. He wanted to keep Hogwarts for Purebloods, while the other three were willing to accept talented Muggle-borns and half-bloods. Finally, Slytherin left the school over the issue and left a monster behind.” 

“So this is the Chamber of Secrets?” Draco asked, looking around. “Where is the thing will bright yellow eyes?” 

Harry nodded and gave a look toward his dad. His dad subtly nodded and spoke. “It is, though it’s not much of a Chamber is it?” 

“It’s not,” Tom said, looking at Harry. He frowned, his eyebrows almost burrowing into his eyes if they went any further. “There’s something you’re not telling us.” 

“You know I can’t bluff, Tom, we’ve been over this.” 

“This is the end, there is nothing left. The treasure is gone. Probably has been for centuries.” 

“What?” Draco asked. “There has to be another clue - there has to be!” 

Harry swung around and glared at Draco. “There are no more clues, the treasure is gone! We need to get over it, move on with our lives!” 

Draco’s eyes went wide and opened his mouth several times before he nodded and walked a bit away from the group. 

When Harry looked back at Tom, Tom was laughing. “Tell me what I need to know, Harry.” Tom motioned at Dolph, and Snape and moved toward the door. He pointed his wand at the tunnel they had just come through, once more caving it in on itself. They were blocking the main door out with their bodies. 

“We’ll trap you in here and call the authorities, then.” 

“No!” James said, looking around wildly. “You can’t do that.” 

“I very much can. Now, Harry, give me the clue.” 

“There isn’t another clue, Tom.” 

“Very well, then.” Tom turned around, his henchmen following. 

“Wait!” James said, calling them back. “We’ll tell you.” 

“Dad, no,” Harry said, his eyes wide, his throat dry. 

“It has to be done son,” James said, walking over to Harry and clapping a hand on his shoulder. “It has to be done.” 

Harry nodded in understanding and watched as his father walked and stood in front of Tom. 

“What is it?” Tom asked, his voice harsher than before. 

“It’s what Slytherin took before he left — Ravenclaw’s diadem. The tiara is said to grant wisdom to the wearer. It is known to have spent centuries hidden in the forest of Albania but has never been found. That is what the snake is referring to, that’s the next clue.” 

“Thank you,” Tom said, inclining his head slightly. He turned and spoke to his men, “Let’s go.” 

“Wait!” James said again. “You have to take us with you!” 

“Why?” Tom asked, stepping outside of the door, placing a shimmering wall Harry knew to be a ward and a powerful one at that. 

“Well-well, what if I lied?” 

Tom raised his wand and pointed it at James. “Did you now?” 

James shook his head and looked back at Harry. 

“What if there is another clue, Tom?” Harry asked, walking forward. 

“Then I’ll know just where to find you.” Tom finished erecting the ward and then shut the door. Harry knew if they wanted to get out, it wouldn’t be easy — Tom probably placed heavy locking charms on the door on top of the wards. No one would be able to find them, and they wouldn’t be able to get out. 


	8. Chapter 8

Harry turned toward Draco and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry I yelled at you Draco, the moment called for it.” 

Draco nodded, but a confused look crossed his face. Harry turned back to the sink with the etching of the snake. 

“What’s going on?” Hermione asked, looking between James and Harry. “Slytherin didn’t steal Ravenclaw’s diadem, her daughter Helena did. It’s been lost for centuries.” 

James and Harry both nodded. “And Myrtle didn’t die from a bright pair of yellow eyes either, anyone who knows the history of this school knows that.” 

“It was a fake clue,” Draco said, smiling. “It was a fake clue!” 

“Okay, step back,” Harry said, looking at the circle of sinks. “I think I know what needs to be done.” 

The party stepped back, Harry included. He closed his eyes and brought forth an ability he had kept hidden and sequestered deep inside him for ages. 

_ “Open.”  _

Harry heard a click and opened his eyes as the sink began to move downwards as the top of the cluster of sinks hovered in the air. When it reached the bottom of the other sinks, a gate was thrown into place. 

“Did you just speak Parseltongue?” Draco asked. 

Harry nodded. “I was cursed as a child on one of our many adventures. Healers think it stemmed from that — the curse was lifted, but my ability never went away.” Harry’s hand went up to touch the lightning bolt scar across his forehead. 

James moved closer to the now huge hole in the ground and peeked over the side. “It looks to be concrete. I think we will have to slide down.” He drew his wand. “I’ll go first.” 

Harry nodded as his dad jumped into the tunnel and disappeared. One by one, they hopped into the tunnel until Harry was the last one standing there. Sitting down, he dangled his legs over the side. 

“Oh, Harry,” a voice said sweetly. Harry turned to see Moaning Myrtle still standing there. 

“Yeah, Myrtle?” 

She giggled. “If I die down there, you’re welcome to share my toilet.” 

Harry turned his lips upward in what he hoped was a smile rather than a grimace. “Er, thanks Myrtle, I appreciate it. And all of your help.” 

With his wand in hand, Harry jumped into the tunnel. His back hit the concrete hard, and he grunted in pain as he slid down. It might look like a slide, but it didn’t feel like the ones he remembered as a child on various playgrounds. He could tell he was travelling deeper and deeper underneath the school. The further he went, the colder the chill. After what felt like an eternity, Harry slid out of the bottom of the tunnel and landed on the ground. Underneath him, several loud crunches echoed against the walls. 

“Are you okay?” Hermione asked, coming to his side. Draco and his father appeared behind her. 

“Ergh,” Harry said, as he stood. With his wand lit, he looked around at the ground and was a bit shocked to see the remains of small animals. “Gross.” 

“Very much so,” Hermione said. “The tunnel continues on through there.” She pointed. 

“Let’s go then.” Harry took the lead once more. The area was quite empty except for the rocks and bit of water beneath their feet. Moss hung from the sides of the walls and water dripped off of them so if one was really quiet, you could hear  _ drip, drip, drip.  _

Harry came to a stop as the tunnel seemed to stop completely. He raised his wand and whispered  _ Lumos Maxima _ to brighten the light. “It seems to be a dead-end,” he said, looking around. There was a large statue of several serpents intertwining in front of him. He pulled at it, hoping it might be a secret compartment, but it didn’t budge.

“Dammit. Harry kicked a rock. “The treasure is gone.” He leaned against the wall looking out at his father, filled with disappointment that he had been right. “It was all for nothing.” 

“No, it wasn’t,” James said, walking forward. “I am sorry to have doubted you, son.” 

“What?” 

“This room is proof that the treasure exists, and that it was here. I was wrong and I’m sorry.” 

Harry sighed. “That still doesn’t change that we don’t know where the treasure is.” 

“Then we’ll keep looking for it,” James said, looking around at Draco and Hermione now. “I’m in.” He placed his hand in midair and looked expectantly at the others. 

Draco threw his hands up in the air. “Why not?” He placed his right hand on top of James. 

“I’m in too,” Hermione said, smiling as she walked toward the other two, placing her hand on top. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip. 

Harry gave her a lopsided grin and placed his hand on top of hers. “Me too.” 

“Well now that it’s decided that we’re all mad by continuing to look for this treasure, can someone explain to me how we are going to get out of here? That bloody slide isn’t going to get us back out, and Tom blocked the way anyway.” 

Harry frowned and brought his hand up to his chin, playing with the stubble there. “See, that doesn’t make sense. When this was created, they would have created another way out. I don’t see how they could have continued to come in and out of the bathroom to access the treasure down here, especially with students in the school.” 

Turning around, Harry looked closer at what he believed to be a snake sculpture. At his closer inspection, he realizes there is a thin line giving it away that it is indeed some type of door. Hermione, who was standing right next to him, noticed it too. 

“Do you think—?” 

Harry nodded and once more closed his eyes and brought forth his parseltongue, hissing  _ open _ . As soon as the words left Harry’s mouth, he opened his eyes to see the snake on the outside move in a circle, unlocking each little snake until he was back in his original spot. 

The door opened on its own as the last snake was unlocked, but it was quite dark when Harry tried to look through.

“I will help you guys up, it looks a tad too high to crawl in on your own.” He paused. “Unless you want me to levitate you.” 

“No thank you.” Harry laughed as Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder. He bent down so she could put her foot in his hands. As he hoisted her up, she placed her other leg inside the small tunnel and climbed in. 

Harry looked up to see that she was peering over the edge with her wand lit. She was waiting for them before moving any further. 

“Who’s next?” Harry asked, looking at his father and then Draco. 

Draco walked forward but didn’t need as much assistance as Hermione being several inches taller. His father was just as limber as he was when he was Harry’s age, almost pulling himself up and into the tunnel without Harry’s assistance. 

Harry then jumped, and his fingers gripped the bottom of the tunnel. He pushed on the wall with his feet and pulled himself up and into the tunnel. Pulling his wand back out of his pocket, he lit it to see that Hermione, Draco, and his father waited for him and the tunnel was large enough to stand in. 

Hermione turned around as Harry stood, and they followed her, their wands at the ready. The tunnel was short, and as they stepped down, Harry gasped. They were in a small treasure room, and it was filled. 

“Oh my,” Hermione said. “It looks like you really did send Tom on a wild goose chase. There’s the lost diadem of Ravenclaw.” 

Harry looked to where she was pointing and smiled. She then bounded off to a section filled with scrolls and books while Harry continued to walk forward. Both his father and Draco had found something to occupy themselves as well. 

Harry was in shock...in complete awe. He had spent the last twenty years, since his grandfather told him the story, dreaming of this treasure and here it was at his fingertips. 

Seeing a large trough full of coal, Harry brought his wand forward and said  _ incendio.  _ He watched as the coal lit on fire and the trough kept going and going. They weren’t in a small room at all — this room could possibly be the size of Hogwarts itself full of treasure. 

The other three came up to him, his father bringing him in for a hug. “You did it, son!” 

“No, we did it,” Harry replied. Hermione placed her hand in his while Draco gave him a thump on the back. 

“Look, stairs,” Draco said, pointing to the far left of the room. “Thank Merlin.”

Hermione laughed. “I think you should actually be thanking Salazar Slytherin.” She pointed to a giant statue in the middle that was obviously his face. 

“Semantics,” Draco said, brushing his shoulder. “Now let’s get out here. We still do have the small issue of the Aurors on our asses. And right now, that’s not looking like a promising situation. We are all fucked.” 

Harry grimaced. In light of finding the treasure, being a fugitive escaped his mind. Azkaban had better prepare four stalls because they were on their way. 

* * *

They made their way out of the Chamber of Secrets and went straight for the Headmistresses’ office where they called for the Aurors. It wasn’t what they wanted to do, but it was for the best to turn themselves in. Harry now sat in the Great Hall on the far right table with Head Auror Weasley. Draco, Hermione, and his father were two tables over, several Aurors surrounding them. 

“Here,” Harry said. He passed the copy of  _ Hogwarts, A History  _ off to the man. 

“You realize that you just handed me your biggest bargaining chip,” Weasley said with raised eyebrows. 

Harry shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “The first edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ , is  _ not _ a bargaining chip...not to me.” 

“Very well, what else?” 

“Would a bribe of millions of pounds work?” 

Arthur chuckled. “I take it you found the treasure then?” 

“We did. There are centuries of history down there, and it belongs to the world.” 

Weasley sighed. “You know—” he paused and fiddled with a ring on his finger. Harry glanced at it and realized that it was the symbol for The Order of the Phoenix. With his eyebrows raised, he looked back at Weasley, and the man was smiling. “The Order of the Phoenix believed that this treasure was too great for just one man, which is why it was hidden.” 

Harry nodded. “I agree. We can split it between various museums throughout the world — it’s for the people.” 

“You’re not very good at bargaining.” 

Harry raised his hands in defeat. “Fine, I want Hermione to get off completely free — not even a mark on her record.” 

“Okay,” he said, inclining his head. 

“I want the credit for the find to go to the entire Potter family with the assistance of Mr Draco Malfoy.” 

“Done. And you?” 

Harry sighed. “I would really love not to sit in Azkaban for the rest of my life.” 

The Head Auror pressed his lips together. “Someone’s got to go to prison, Harry.” 

Harry thought about it for a moment before his lips turned up and into a grin. “If you have an International Portkey, I think I can help with that.” 

* * *

Tom was growing irritated as they continued to look for the diadem. This tree, with strong wards around it, was their last chance. He stood there and watched as Snape and Dolph got to work on bringing the wards down. This was the perfect moment for Harry to be there, his proclivity for wards above anyone else’s. Just as he turned his head to the right, he felt something press against his neck. 

“Hands in the air,” the man growled. “Collect their wands.” Tom heard an  _ accio  _ and all of their wands flew out of their hands. “Tom Riddle, you’re under arrest for attempted murder and breaking and entering.” 

Tom tried to pull away, but the man’s grip on him was strong. When Tom looked up, he pursed his lips — Harry was standing right there, smirking at him. When the Auror started to pull him away into Apparition, Harry gave him a two-finger salute. 

He had won. 

* * *

“Your presence is requested at the British Library for the new Wizarding World history exhibit opening. Friday, September 6,” Draco read, matching invitations in both Harry and Hermione’s hands as well. 

“Brilliant,” Harry said, pulling Hermione in for a side hug. “You’ve done brilliantly putting this all together.” 

“Thanks.” She beamed up at him, her perfect teeth flashing. Opening her book, she placed her invitation inside, Harry placing his right on top. 

“I still can’t believe that they offered you ten percent and you didn’t take it. Ten-fucking-percent and you turned it down. Bloody mental.” 

Harry laughed. “I told you it was too much.” 

Draco walked over to the side of the house and grabbed his brand new broom — a Firebolt 3000. “Right, it’s not like you’re filthy rich already. Besides, you got the girl.” 

“True,” Harry and Hermione said together. They laughed, and Harry pulled her in for a kiss, his tongue running along the seam of her lips. 

“Sickening. I’ll sit on my less than one percent,” Draco grumbled. Harry knew he was only disappointed in not being able to add much to his already vast fortune. 

“Oh, Draco, I am so sorry for your loss.” Sarcasm was dripping from Harry’s tone. 

He gave Harry a look as he threw a leg over his broomstick. “For the record, I like the house.” 

Harry smiled. “Me too.” 

He and Hermione waved as Draco pushed off of the ground and sped away into the sky. As he disappeared, Harry looked down at Hermione, and she was smiling mischievously at him. 

“What?” He pressed a kiss against her temple. 

“I made something for you.” She pulled a piece of paper out of the book she was holding. 

Harry unfolded it and looked at it briefly. “A map? To where?” 

Hermione smiled and started running away. “You’ll figure it out.” 

Harry grinned and shoved the paper in his pocket. He ran after Hermione who laughed harder as he caught up to her, sweeping her into his arms. Finding her while traipsing across the country was worth far more than the treasure...much, much, more. 

** _Fin_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks! I'd love to hear from you in the form of a review! And of course, be sure to check out the Facebook group, Harmony & Co to join in on the fun!


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